“Justice delayed is justice denied,” says victim of alleged housing scam
More than a dozen victims of an alleged scam outside the Lenasia Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday for the hearing of a Johannesburg housing official accused of fraudulently selling homes. Photos: Seth Thorne
The case involving a Johannesburg housing official accused of fraudulently selling homes was postponed for a seventh time on Tuesday.
Cynthia Ntshangase, a receptionist at the Pimville housing office in Soweto, made a brief appearance at the Lenasia Magistrates’ Court. She is accused of fraudulently selling the homes of vulnerable families.
The case arises from a probe launched in December 2019 by the Gauteng Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) into the alleged unlawful sale of RDP and private houses in Johannesburg.
The allegation is that officials targeted elderly residents and bereaved families or families in dispute. The state alleges wills were fabricated and title deeds altered to enable the fraudulent sale and transfer of properties.
Ntshangase, who remains employed and is still to plead, was one of two municipal officials initially charged with fraud and corruption, first appearing in court on 20 August 2025. The other accused has since died. Tuesday was the seventh time the matter was postponed.
Postponements in December 2025, February and April 2026, all concerned the death certificate of the co-accused. On 11 June 2026, the case was postponed for the accused’s lawyer to consult with their client; on 13 July the docket had not been brought to the court; on 27 August the lawyer asked for time to request further particulars of the charges from the state.
Magistrate Syfred Mati granted the postponement on Tuesday until 30 November to allow the accused’s lawyer enough time to go through the lengthy documents submitted by the state.
About 18 victims of the alleged scam were outside court, supported by Lerato Qoza of Khuluma Mphakathi, a collective that supports victims of alleged municipal corruption in Pimville.
Qoza, whose family was also allegedly scammed, told GroundUp the victims would not be swayed by the number of postponements, but that “justice delayed is justice denied”
“The accused knows our cases very well. We will be here until the end to see justice,” said Nomahlubi Jalisa, who says she was also scammed. She said that some victims of the scam have died since the case started.
She said the buyers can afford to defend their ownership in court, while the victims cannot afford the legal costs to reclaim their homes.
The City of Johannesburg’s human settlements department previously pledged to “implement consequence management if any misconduct is confirmed”. The City said affected families should allow the formal investigation and legal processes to unfold.
Lerato Qoza of Khuluma Mphakathi, which supports victims of alleged municipal corruption in Pimville, outside the court on Tuesday.
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